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Foam Pad

March 7th, 2010 admin No comments

Foam Pad

Sparring Pads: Head To Toe Protection

Personally, I am not a fan of full contact sparring. Scoff if you will, but I have personal experience with noncontact, light contact, and full contact styles, so I'm entitled to an opinion. Noncontact is, in my opinion, just rather silly. I mean, you're studying a martial art-what's the point of not hitting someone? Light contact is the best of both worlds because it allows the participants to (usually) walk away uninjured but with enough bruises to know what could have happened. For me, the main problem with full contact sparring is the pads. I always feel constricted by them, and that hampers my fighting style. However, my personal bias aside, sparring pads are absolutely indispensible in full contact martial arts. Enough types of pads exist so that an athlete can, if he wishes, cover his entire body. Each is specially designed to allow for maximum movement while still protecting from injury.

Starting at the top, one find the head guards. These are made of foam and resemble the helmets used by wrestlers. A head guard covers most of the head, including the back, top, forehead and jaw. It features numerous holes and slits, which help prevent the wearer from becoming overheated. Extra foam padding is placed around the ears for additional protection. A wide elastic strap fastens from one side of the guard to the other, under the chin.

Moving down the body the chest guard, the largest of the sparring pads, is next. These pads are designed to cover the entire front of the body from the collar bone to the waistline. The side are also protected, from just under the armpit to the waist. Chest guards are most commonly made of foam padding inside of a durable vinyl shell. Ironically, these pads often feature what are essentially targets on the front and sides. In sparring, these targets are used by an opponent to aim for the most vulnerable areas on the body. Chest guards with these targets are almost always reversible, featuring blue targets on one side and red on the other. In competitions, one opponent exhibits red while the other exhibits blue.

Forearm pads are usually made of padded cloth, although they can also be foam. They can cover only the forearm, but some styles include a half-glove that protects the wrist and fist as well. In sparring, the forearm is one of the areas most often bruised, and these pads can make a serious difference in the level of injury.

Shin guards can be made of either padded cloth or foam. Foam versions are strapped to the fronts of the shins with elastic bands, while padded cloth styles are slipped onto the calf like a long sock. The latter style sometimes includes a half-sock that protects top of the foot.

Finally, the groin protector is the most important piece of padding, at least for some. It is a little known fact that female groin protectors are actually used, not uncommonly in some circles. These pads protect women's pelvic bones, which can be quite painful if struck. Men's groin protectors, of course, are similar to those used in most male-dominated contact sports and are designed to protect the male genitalia.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, sports clothing, and model motorcycles. Click here when you want to find sweatpants, sweatshirts, pads, martial arts pads, sparring pads, sports clothing, and model motorcycles.